596 The VOYAGES 
not a little grieved. At that Time there was a certain 
. Legate of the apoftolic See at Acre, viz. Matter Tibal - 
do Vifconti di Piacenza, to whom they declared all they 
had in Commiffion from the great Khan, and he advifed 
them to expedt the Creation of a new Pope : In the mean 
Space therefore departing to Venice to vifit their Friends, 
Matter Nicolo found that his Wife was dead, whom at 
his Departure he had left with Child, but had left a Son 
named Marco , who was now nineteen Years of Age. 
This is that Marco who compofed this Book, who will 
manifeft therein all thofe things that he hath feen. The 
Election of the Pope of Rome was deferred two Years. 
They fearing the Difcontent of the Emperor of the 
i Tartars , who expected their Return, went back again to 
Acre , to the Legate, carrying with them Marco aforefaid, 
and having gone to Jerusalem, and fetched the Oil with 
the Legate’s Letters, teftifying their Fidelity to the Great 
Khan, and that a Pope was not yet chofen, they went 
again towards Giazza. 
In the mean Time, Mettengers came from the Cardi- 
nals to the Legate, declaring to him that he was chofen 
Pope, and he called himfelf Gregory. Hearing this, he 
prefently fent Mettengers to call back the Venetians , and 
admonifhing them not to depart, prepared other Letters 
for them, which they fhould prefent to the Great Khan of 
the Tartars, with whom he alfo joined two preaching Fri- 
ars, Men famous for their honeft Converfation and Learn- 
ing. The one was called Friar Nicolo Davicenza, the 
other Friar Guielmode Tripoli : To thefe he gave Letters and 
Priviledges, and Authority to ordain Priefts and Bifhops, 
and of Abfolution in all Cafes, as if himfelf were prefent, 
with Prefents alfo of great Value, to prefent the great 
Khan , together with his Benediction. They came to Gi- 
azza , a Sea- Port in Armenia , and becaufe Bentiochdas 
and the Sultan of Babylon, leading a great Army, then 
invaded the Armenians , the two Friars above-mentioned 
began to be afraid of themfelves, and delivering the Let- 
ters and Prefents to Seigniors Nicolo, Maffio, and Marco , de- 
firing to avoid the Danger of the Ways and Peril of 
Wars, remained with the Matter of the Temple, and re- 
turned with him. 
But the three Venetians expofing themfelves to all Dan- 
ger, with many Labours, and much Difficulty, travelled 
many Days always towards the North- E,aft and North, till 
4'hey, after three Years and a half, came to the Emperor 
of the Ear tar’s great City of Clemenifu ; for in the 
Winter Time their Journey had often long Hindrances by 
reafon of the Snow, and extreme Cold, with Inundations 
of Waters. However, King Cublai hearing of their com- 
ing, though they were yet very far off, fent Mettengers 
forty Days Journey to meet them, who fhould conduct 
them, and furnifh all Necefiaries for their Journey. Going 
therefore to the King’s Court, and being brought to his 
Prefence, they fell down before him on their Faces, yield- 
ing the accuftomed Reverence, of whom being courteoufly 
received, they were ordered to rife, and he commanded 
them to declare how they patted the many Dangers of the 
Ways, and what they had treated with the Bifhop of Rome ; 
then they related it diftinftly and at large, and gave the Em- 
peror the Pope’s Letters and Prefents, which they brought ; 
at which the Khan wonderfully rejoicing, commended their 
faithful Cares. The Oil alfo brought from the Lord’s 
Sepulchre, and offered unto him, he reverently received, 
commanded it fhould be honourably preferved, and afking 
of Marco , who he was ? Matter Nicolo anfwered, that he 
was his Majefty’s Servant, and his Son; he entertained him 
with a friendly Countenance, and taught him to write among 
other his honourable Courtiers ; whereupon he was much 
efteenffd of all the Court, and in a little Space learned the 
Cuftoms of all the Tartars, and four different Languages, 
being able to write and read them all. 
/ The Great Khan, to make his Wifdom more apparent, 
committed an Ambaffage unto him to be performed in a 
City called Carachan , unto which he could fcarcely travel 
in fix Months Space 5 but he carrying himfelf wifely in all 
things, difcharged what he had in Commiffion with the 
Commendation and Favour of the Prince, and knowing the 
Emperof would be delighted with Novelties in the Places 
which he patted through, he diligently fearched the Cu- 
4 
and TRAVELS Book I. 
ftoms and Manners of Men, and the Conditions of the 
Countries, making a Memorial of all that he knew and 
faw to divert the Great Khan ; and in fix and twenty Years* 
which he continued one of his Court, he was fo acceptable 
to him, that he was continually fent through all his Realms 
and Seigniories for the Affairs of the Great Khan, and fome- 
times for his own, but by the Khan’s Order ; and this is 
the true Reafon that the faid Matter Marco learned and 
faw fo many Particulars relating to the Eaft, which follow 
in order in thefe Memoirs; but thefe Venetians having flayed 
in that Court many Years, and grown very rich in Jewels 
of great Value, were infpired with Defire to vifit their 
Country, fearing, that if the Khan (now old) fhould die, 
they fhould not be able to return. One Day Matter 
Nicolo , feeing the Khan merry, craved Licenfe to depart 
in the Name of all the three ; whereat he was moved, and 
afked, why they would put themfelves on fo dangerous \ 
Journey, and if they wanted Riches, he would give them 
twice as much as they had, and out of pure Attention would 
not permit their Departure. 
Yet not long after it happened, that a King of the 
Indians, named Argon , fent three of his Counfellors unto 
the Court of the Great Cublai , whofe Names were Ulafai , 
Apufea, and Coza, to treat with him, that he would deli- 
ver him a Wife ; for his Wife, named Bolgana , being lately 
dead, begged this Favour of the King at the Point of Death, 
and left in her Will, that he fhould not marry a Wife of 
another Family than her own, which was of Cathay. King 
Cublai therefore yielding to his Requeft, caufed to be fought 
out for them a fair young Maiden of feventeen Years of 
Age, named Cegalin, defended of the former Queen’s 
Family, to be the Wife of Argon. Thofe Embattadors de-r 
parting, rode eight Months the fame Way they came, but 
found bloody Wars among the Tartars, that they were 
conftrained to return, and acquaint the great Khan with their 
Proceedings. In the mean time Matter Marco had re- 
turned from thofe Parts of India , where he had been em- 
ployed with certain Ships, and declared to the Khan the 
Singularities of the Places, and the Security of thofe Seas, 
which reaching the Ears of the Embattadors, they confer- 
red with the Venetians , and agreed, that they with the 
Queen fhould go to the Great Khan, and defire Leave to 
return by Sea, and to have the three Latins, Men fkilful in 
Sea Affairs, with them, to the Country of King Argon. The 
Great Khan was much difpleafed with their Requeft, yet 
upon their Petition granted it, and caufed Nicolo, Maffio, 
and Marco to come into his Prefence, and after much De~ 
monftration of his Love would have them promife to re- 
turn to him after they had fpent fome time in Chriftendom, 
and in their own Houfe ; and he caufed to be given them 
a Tablet of Gold, in which was written his Command for 
their Liberty and Security through all his Dominions, and 
that Expences fhould be given them and theirs, and a Guide 
or Convoy for fafe Paffage, ordering alfo that they fhould 
be his Embattadors to the Pope, the King of France and 
Spain, and other Chriftian Princes. 
He caufed fourteen Ships to be prepared, each having 
four Matts, and able to bear nine Sails in failing, the Form 
of which is too long to be here related ; four or five of them 
had from two hundred and fifty to two hundred and fixty 
Mariners in each of them. In thefe Ships the Embattadors, 
the Queen, with Nicolo, Maffio, and Marco , fet fail, having 
firft taken Leave of the Great Khan, who gave them many 
Rubies, and other Precious Stones, and their Expences for 
two Years. After three Months they came unto a certain 
Ifland called Java, and from thence failing through the 
Indian Sea, after eighteen Months they came into the 
CountryTf King Argon : Six hundred Men of the Mariners, 
and others, and but one of the Women died in the Jour- 
ney ; but only Coza of the three Embattadors furvived. 
When they came to the Country of King Argon, they 
found that he was dead, and that one Chiacato governed 
the Kingdom for his Son, who was under Age ; they fent 
to acquaint him with their Bufinefs, who anfwered, that 
they fhould give her to Cafant he King’s Son, then in the 
Parts of Arbor Secco, in the Confines of Perfia, with fixty 
thoufand Perfons for the Guard of certain Paffages againft 
the Enemy. Having done fo, Nicolo, Maffio, and Marco , 
returned to Chiacato , and ftaid there nine Months. 
After 
